


Sink or Swim: A Mirandy Mermaid Tale

by prettylittlemess



Category: The Devil Wears Prada (2006)
Genre: F/F, Magic, Mermaids, Romance, Sex in human form only
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-24
Updated: 2020-05-24
Packaged: 2021-03-02 22:48:50
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 16,742
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24354586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/prettylittlemess/pseuds/prettylittlemess
Summary: Andy has a secret: She turns into a mermaid when she touches water. She manages to stay dry while performing her second assistant duties—until Miranda brings her to a fancy party on a boat.
Relationships: Miranda Priestly & Andrea Sachs, Miranda Priestly/Andrea Sachs
Comments: 38
Kudos: 264





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Paris never happened, and Nate and Stephen are history. Otherwise it’s the normal universe. Except for the mermaid thing. That’s different. Oh, and I invented a small island off the coast of New York.
> 
> The magic in this story (water = mermaid) was inspired by the movie Splash (1984) and the Australian show H2O Just Add Water.

In Andy’s defense, it happened fast. And the timing—well, that wasn’t her fault.

Miranda was hosting Solé Archer, some famous designer with a tiny, upturned nose and an absurdly large entourage of assistants with no clear purpose. When Miranda had these meetings in her office, Andrea was reduced to serving ridiculous, low-calorie finger food and refilling water glasses.

As always, she was painstakingly careful with the water. Her awareness of every ounce of water in her vicinity was a constant part of her life, a necessity if she had a prayer of keeping her secret. No matter where she was, or what she was doing, some part of her brain was preoccupied with sinks, puddles, and even condensation—noting the locations and strategizing to avoid contact.

So when Miranda inclined her head with a pointed flick of her brow, indicating that Andy should refresh the water glasses, she lifted the pitcher with practiced care, touched only the handle, and gently poured a slow trickle into Solé’s half-empty tumbler.

Solé didn’t acknowledge Andy; she kept her pale green eyes trained on Miranda. “I’m hosting a gathering next Saturday, on one of my favorite yachts. Just a few close friends. You should come.”

“I’d be delighted. Andrea, clear my schedule.”

Andy nodded, moving around the table to a woman in a blue wig and chunky glasses who sat with a miniature laptop, not taking notes. Her water glass was untouched, but Andrea added a few drops for appearances before moving on to the next assistant, a blonde in a checked minidress who had done nothing but gawk at Miranda for an hour.

Solé leaned forward. “This won’t be one of those dull parties in the harbor. This particular vessel runs fast and smooth, and we’re going to sail all the way to my property in East Hampton, for an evening event at my home. If you’re up for it, of course.”

“I am.” Miranda didn’t hesitate. Her ultimate goal was an exclusive for _Runway_ , and she’d probably fly to the moon to get it.

 _Good thing I’m not going_. It was one thing to stay dry in a New York office building, but a yacht speeding through the ocean, countless miles from the shore? Yikes.

At that exact moment, as Andy tilted the pitcher toward the next glass, Miranda said, “Andrea, you will accompany me.”

A jolt of panic caused her hand to wobble, and she watched in slow motion as water spilled onto her forearm and her blouse. _Oh fuck_. There was no towel in sight, and with the wet spot on her blouse, it didn’t matter. She had to get out of there, and she only had a few seconds.

“Excuse me!” She set the pitcher on the table with a graceless thunk, and then she fled—out the door, past a mystified Emily, and into the hallway where she scanned for an escape.

The restroom had multiple stalls—there was no way she could hide there. So she ran for the stairwell, flung open the door and slammed it shut behind her. Then she kicked off her shoes and tugged her pants and panties down, just barely getting them off before her legs transformed into a massive fish tail.

Her ass hit the cement floor, followed by the tail, with a slap that echoed throughout the stairwell. The tail stretched out before her on the small landing, green scales tapering to the spot where her ankles normally were, and then fanning out into a wide, forked, fin tail with crimped edges.

Great. She was a mermaid at work. Fucking great.

She had been so careful for months, keeping a towel at her desk that she’d barely needed because she had staying dry down to a science. And of course, her first slip had happened in front of the designer that Miranda badly wanted to impress.

But could anyone blame her? A yacht traveling through the open ocean? Andy had never been on a yacht, and she hadn’t been on a boat since her childhood, since before… well, before everything.

She didn’t have any friends who owned a boat, not that she’d have agreed to go sailing anyway. So the exact risk of exposure was unclear to her, but she had to assume there’d be waves and sea breeze and mist… not to mention drunk rich people getting seasick and bobbling their drinks.

The very idea filled her with anxiety, but there was no way to say no. She didn’t say no to Miranda, not ever. Not if she wanted to keep her job. And for reasons she didn’t fully comprehend, she badly wanted to keep her degrading, low-paying job.

It had cost her almost everything—her sanity, her social life, her relationship with Nate—but the thought of leaving Miranda, of never seeing her gorgeous, brilliant, maddening boss again… that absolutely could not happen.

So, she’d have to find some way to attend the damned boat trip without compromising her secret. Or maybe she could sabotage it somehow, swim down to the bottom of the boat and cut a big hole with…an ax? Hmmm. Well, she’d think of something. But first, she had to salvage the afternoon.

The water on her arm had almost evaporated. She peeled her blouse away from her skin and blew on it. Thankfully, the stairwell was deserted. _Runway_ employees took the elevator exclusively, thanks to the strict dress code of uncomfortable shoes and unrumpled attire.

Still, her pulse didn’t slow until her tail had dissolved into legs, and she’d hiked her panties and pants back on. Even then, her stomach flip-flopped as she prepared to face Miranda.

She estimated that she’d been in the stairwell for twenty, maybe thirty minutes. The meeting should be over by now, although she had no doubt that Miranda would let Solé linger as long as she wanted.

Andy took a deep breath, smoothed her outfit as best as she could, and returned to the office, attempting the dignified walk of a person who hadn’t been half-human, half-fish just minutes ago.

“Where have you been?” Emily hissed. “I had to cover for you.”

Andy swallowed. “I felt sick.”

Emily scoffed. “You don’t _get sick_ in a meeting with Solé Archer. Really. Could your timing be any worse?”

 _Actually, yes._ Andy imagined falling to the ground in the middle of the meeting, her ripped clothes strewn around her as her tail flopped at Solé’s feet. Her timing could have been considerably worse.

She shrugged a shoulder and wordlessly approached Miranda’s office. The door was ajar, and she could see Miranda at her desk, contemplating something on her laptop screen. Andy took another deep breath and began the long walk from the door to the desk.

Miranda looked up with narrow eyes. “Here to explain yourself?”

Andy nodded.

“I’m sure this will be _fascinating_.”

**~ * ♥ * ~**

Miranda looked her second assistant up and down. Andrea’s bargin-bin, lavender blouse was wrinkled where she’d spilled water on herself, and for some unfathomable reason her pants also had new, unsightly creases. Her face was flushed, and her big brown eyes were appropriately fearful.

“I’m sorry,” Andrea blurted. “I’m so sorry. I suddenly felt sick—really sick—and I was afraid that if I stayed here, I’d barf all over Solé, and I just… um, I know it looked terrible, but it was an emergency. Truly.”

Sick? Andrea was sick at two in the afternoon, on a work day? Unacceptable. She had no reason to be sick, unless… 

She couldn’t be _pregnant,_ could she? Miranda’s own stomach turned as she imagined Andrea swollen with the idiot cook boy’s baby, throwing away her potential and leaving her job. Leaving Miranda.

It was illegal to ask, but she had to know. “Please tell me you’re not…?”

“Huh?” Andrea’s eyes widened. “Oh no. I’m not pregnant. No way. Nate and I are over, and there’s been no once since. So believe me, I am one hundred percent..." She winced. “Too much information. Sorry.”

Miranda exhaled. It was exactly enough information. “Hmm. Well.”

“Anyway, it was probably something I ate. I feel fine now. And it won’t happen again, I swear. I really am sorry.” Andrea shifted, wringing her hands.

“So I won’t have to worry about you getting seasick on Saturday?”

Andrea made a strange choking sound. “No, I don’t… I don’t think I’m likely to get seasick.” Then she bit her lip. “But, um, if you’d rather take Emily, I completely understand. After all, I probably offended Solé, and I don’t want her to hold it against you. Really, I don’t deserve to go.”

The girl sounded almost hopeful. Miranda felt a strange stab of pain at the thought that Andrea was trying to get out of the event—no doubt to avoid spending time with her. Not that Miranda could blame the girl, really, given her punishing management style. She hated the idea that her treatment of Andrea caused her to dread being near her, yet didn’t seem to know how to stop.

Well, this time there was no choice. “Emily will be on vacation. Her sister’s wedding or some such ridiculous thing. You’re going.”

“Okay.” Andrea still looked terrified.

“That’s all.”

As Andrea scurried out, Miranda puzzled over their conversation. Okay, she'd been sick. And she was reluctant to give up a Saturday. Fine. But Miranda couldn’t shake the feeling that she was missing something.


	2. Chapter 2

“What in God’s name are you wearing?”

“Nice to see you too, Miranda,” Andy said as she buckled her seatbelt. “Hi Roy.” A quick glance indicated that Miranda was staring at the outfit with her mouth hanging open.

Andy had expected an even worse reaction, but the long-sleeved, black, pleather romper was a critical component of her Not Turning Into a Fish game plan.

Finally, Miranda said, “It’s July.”

“Yeah, but I’m okay. I run cold.” This was a lie any day, but especially around Miranda. And as her eyes slid down her boss’s snug burgundy dress, knee-length with a slit up to the thigh, she could already feel herself sweating in her waterproof ensemble. She averted her eyes.

Miranda spent most of the drive gazing out the window, so Andy did the same. Not that she could focus on much of anything, thanks to her stress levels and the rising temperature in the car. Maybe she shouldn’t have wrapped her legs in plastic under her opaque tights.

When they arrived at the harbor, Andy was relieved to see calm water and a dry dock. Maybe she’d been overthinking the whole thing.

Then she saw the yacht. It was huge, bright white and gleaming with decorative yellow lights. The areas they could see from the ground were already crowded with passengers. Evidently, Solé had quite a few close friends.

Miranda glowered at the towering vessel before them, and Andy wondered if she was annoyed that the event wasn’t as intimate as they’d been led to believe.

Miranda turned to her. “I trust you’re prepared?”

“I am.” As always, Andy had done her homework. She was ready to identify anyone important who happened into their path; she just hoped she could remember her notes and avoid water simultaneously, without slipping at either task.

Climbing up to the yacht, Andy gazed longingly into the water. It looked cool and inviting. How she’d love to be sneaking off for a long, leisurely swim instead of going to this dumb party.

As she caught a whiff of Miranda’s heavenly fragrance, however, Andy remembered the silver lining of her predicament. An evening at Miranda’s side could never be all bad.

~ * ♥ * ~

Andrea was acting… unusual. Her whispered reminders of names and facts had been flawless as ever, but all night her demeanor had been skittish, almost like she thought something was about to jump out and yell _boo!_

At first she’d thought Andrea was nervous about someone at the party. But eventually, she noticed a pattern. Andrea grew visibly anxious every time they were out on the deck, in the open air, and it got worse when they moved closer to the railing.

Andrea was afraid of the water. It was the only thing that made sense. Plus, it explained her odd reaction to Miranda’s request that she accompany her to Solé’s event. In fact, Miranda suspected that Andrea had not been sick at all, but had fled her office because she was so panicked at the idea of traveling by boat.

She should have been annoyed. Yet, Miranda felt almost… touched… that Andrea had faced a phobia to be at her side. Not that Miranda would ever admit it. Her softening toward her second assistant was an annoying weakness, one she’d been working to correct by being extra demanding. Still, maybe just tonight she’d ease up a bit.

A blonde woman who looked vaguely familiar approached them. Andrea leaned in and whispered, “That’s one of Solé’s assistants. She was at the meeting last week, but Solé never gave their names.”

Face time with an assistant. How thrilling. Miranda was irritated that she hadn’t yet had a conversation with Solé herself, but she forced a smile. “Lovely to see you again.”

“Hello Ms. Priestly,” the woman said in a chipper voice. “Solé would like a word with you in private. She snuck off to the upper deck, and she’d like you to join her. If you’ll come with me?”

Miranda nodded. “Of course.”

Andrea moved to follow, but the woman said, “My apologies. She only requested Ms. Priestly.

Miranda waved a hand. “Why don’t you take a break. Get something to drink. I’ll find you when I’m done.”

Andrea broke into a smile, most likely relieved that she didn’t have to go back out to the deck where she could see the ocean in every direction. “Thank you.”

Miranda followed the assistant out to the deck, past groups of people mingling, and then to the bottom of a staircase near the stern of the ship that was blocked off with a silver chain and a “no access” sign.

“This way.” The woman unhooked the chain.

“Solé is up there?” Miranda craned her neck, but the overhang was blocking her view.

“For privacy. She wants to talk business, but she doesn’t want you two to be interrupted.”

Business. That’s what she wanted, but something felt… strange. Shaking off the feeling, she followed the woman’s round bottom to the top of the staircase. There, she found a small deck overlooking the back of the ship that was completely vacant… except for her escort, who was now regarding her with a malevolent smirk.

“I suppose you don’t recognize me.” Her high, perky voice was suddenly deep and dangerous. “I thought you might not, after all the plastic surgery. I got it because of you. Because by the time you were through with me, I felt so hideous...” Her voice cracked, and she shook her head angrily.

Miranda searched the woman’s face for signs of work, trying to figure out how she’d looked before and how they were supposed to know each other. In a flash, she remembered. Her old assistant, from years ago—a blithering, incompetent girl who had been fired after a disastrous summer. “You’re Crystal... Medina?”

“Correct.” Crystal leaned back against the railing, the sea winds blowing through her blonde ringlets. “You called me stupid, overweight. Unworthy to bring your damn Starbucks.”

“Because you couldn’t remember a simple order,” snapped Miranda. “Anyway, I don’t know what revenge fantasy you think you’re living, cornering me to show me that you have blonde hair and a new nose, but I don’t care. I barely remember you. I’m done with this.”

“No, you’re not.” Crystal reached into her oversized purse and retrieved a small revolver, then pointed it at Miranda’s chest.

Miranda froze. That was an actual gun. “Crystal. What are you doing?”

“Stand over there.” Crystal gestured to the railing on the other side of the deck.

What were the odds that it was loaded, or that this idiot girl knew how to use it? In America… fairly high.

Miranda walked slowly to the spot near the edge of the boat. She had the frightening realization that they were standing on a section that overlooked only water. No one could see them.

“You know, I thought it was bad when your current assistant couldn’t get through one stupid meeting without tossing her cookies. Then she showed up here in that pleather burkini.” Crystal made a disgusted face. “So I want to know if you’ve dramatically lowered your standards, or if you just hated me for some reason.”

 _Andrea_. Miranda raised her hands. “Listen. Andrea knows I went with you. She heard you tell me we were meeting Solé, which was clearly a lie. If you fire that thing, you’re going to have gunpowder on your hands. This is the stu… this is extremely ill-advised.”

Crystal stepped toward her. “I’m not as dumb as you think I am. In fact, I’m not dumb at all. That’s why I’m not going to shoot you. You’re going to trip and fall overboard. No evidence, no witnesses. No one to even realize you’re missing except your current assistant who will probably be thrilled to have a break from you. By the time she thinks to look for you… you’ll be miles behind us.”

 _She’s going to push me._ Miranda’s whole body tensed as she prepared for the attack

_Andrea, please look for me. Please come. Please._

~ * ♥ * ~

Andy stuffed another crab puff into her mouth. She figured she’d better indulge in fattening food before Miranda got back. Then she turned and nearly collided with Christian.

“Oh. Hi.” _Ugh._ After their night together, she’d avoided his calls until he stopped trying. Now it was awkward.

“Hi there.” He smiled down at her, apparently deciding to play it cool. “Priestly let you off the leash?”

“Yeah, but actually I should see if she needs anything. She’s with…oh.” Behind Christian, Solé Archer was holding forth before a circle of admirers that did not include Miranda. “She went to talk to Solé, but I guess they never found each other.”

“I saw her walking with Crystal. Strange, because Crystal hates her guts.”

“Crystal?” Andrea frowned. “That’s the name of Solé’s assistant? The blonde one?”

“Yup.” Christian took a swig of champagne. “She had your job way back in the day. Priestly chewed her up and spat her out. She pretty much never stopped talking about it. That’s why I was surprised to see Miranda with her.”

Something was wrong. Andy wasn’t sure what, exactly, but it was time to find Miranda. “Excuse me, Christian.” She pushed past him before he could respond.

On the deck, Andy scanned the guests for Miranda. Where the hell was she? She plowed right into a circle of waifish models. “Excuse me, have you seen Miranda Priestly?”

They all shook their heads.

Andy made her way through the crowd. “Have you seen Miranda Priestly? Anyone?"

Someone tapped her shoulder. “She went back there.”

“Huh?” Andy whirled to see a young redhead pointing toward the back of the ship.

“Miranda Priestly went back there with another woman.”

“A blonde?” 

“That’s the one.”

Andy rushed to find her, but it was a dead end, save a staircase with a chain and a sign barring access. She pulled it off and flung it aside.

As she climbed the staircase, Andy vaguely realized she was near the edge of a fast-moving ship, with the breeze picking up. _You’re dry. Don’t think about the water._ Besides, she wasn’t going to stop looking until she found Miranda.

At the top of the steps, she almost ran into Crystal, who was apparently on the way down. Andy looked past her. “Where’s Miranda?”

The woman jumped back. “She’s not here. She didn’t come with me.”

 _She’s lying._ Andy was sure of it. But she could see every inch of the small upper deck. Miranda wasn’t there, so she must be… holy shit. “Did you push her or something?”

The woman’s eyes bugged. “Fuck you.” 

Andy shoved past her and ran over to the railing. She scanned the waves below, but they were moving too fast, and she couldn’t see anything.

“Don’t move.”

Andy turned back to see Crystal aiming a revolver at her with murderous eyes and steady hands. “Oh my God. You’re crazy. You killed her! You killed Miranda.” _No, no, no, no, no._ She couldn’t breathe.

“I didn’t kill Miranda. She jumped.” Crystal moved closer. “And you’re going to jump too.”

“You’re right about that.” Andy turned, climbed the railing in one fluid move, and dove headfirst into the ocean.


	3. Chapter 3

Miranda’s clothes were dragging her under. Her dress seemed to weigh twenty pounds, and her Gucci sandals were like bricks strapped to her feet. She kicked and struggled until her head surfaced long enough to breathe. Long enough to see there were no boats for miles.

She was going to die. Fear and rage consumed her, but still she kept fighting to breathe. When her head sank under again, she fumbled for the zipper on the dress. But the zipper wouldn't budge, and she was sinking, drifting further and further from the surface. She tried to swim back up, but the weight was too much.

Suddenly, strong arms gripped her sides and pulled her upwards, toward the sunlight, until her head broke through.

Gasping, she blinked the saltwater out of her eyes until the blurry vision came into focus—it was Andrea.

Andrea was holding her up, almost like it was effortless, staring back at her with soaked hair, streaked mascara, and wide brown eyes. Her arms and shoulders were naked, except for crimson bra straps. “Miranda.” She made a sound like a strangled sob. “You’re alive.”

“How…” Miranda was shivering. “How did you… wait.” The hope she’d felt seconds ago disappeared as she realized there was no ship in sight.

Andrea had somehow seen her fall, and had jumped in after her. But nobody knew. And now they would both drown in the middle of the ocean.

“No one’s coming?” 

Andrea shook her head. “No, but…”

“Jesus fucking Christ, what were you thinking?” Now she was shrieking. “You idiot! It could be hours before they—before anyone even notices we’re gone. You’re going to die. You’re so young and you’re going to… oh God, Andrea.”

Miranda threw her arms around Andrea. She was shaking, hyperventilating, her whole body convulsing.

Andrea hugged back, gently pressing her chest into Miranda’s. “We won’t die. We won’t. But I need to tell you something.”

“Of course we’re going to die. I was dead from the moment I hit the water but you… why did you jump? Why?” Miranda pulled back to search Andrea’s eyes. How could she sacrifice her life to pull Miranda above water, when there was no way back? Just so they could say goodbye before drowning together?

Andrea looked conflicted, afraid… almost guilty. Her mouth worked, but no words came.

“What?”

Andrea squeezed her eyes closed, then opened them. “I have a tail.”

“What?” A tail? Someone following her?

“I’m a mermaid.” Andrea held her gaze anxiously, as though waiting for some reaction.

“You…” Miranda was speechless. A mermaid? Holy Coco Chanel, the girl had lost her mind. Or she’d decided to spend her last moments on Earth fucking with Miranda for some incomprehensible reason. Soon they would both be dead, and—

Wide green fins broke through the water, fanning out a few feet behind Andrea’s head. Still holding on to Miranda, Andrea dipped her head beneath the water and raised her lower half, which was… a tail. A long, green, fish tail of shimmering scales, beginning at her lower back and ending with the large, forked fins unfurled before her.

The fins waved at Miranda, almost shyly. Then Andrea’s head popped back up as her tail sank into the water. 

“Um, I know sea green is so last season,” Andrea said sheepishly. “But otherwise it’s not bad, right?”

Miranda found herself utterly unable to speak. Mermaids were real. Andrea was a mermaid. It was impossible. Yet how else could she explain Andrea somehow finding her in the vast ocean… not to mention holding her up in the water—dress, shoes and all—and not appearing even slightly out of breath?

Finally she said, “How… how is this possible?”

“It’s a long story. But we need to get back to shore.”

Shore. Was the shore within reach? Mermaid or not, they were still surrounded by water in all directions. “How?”

Andrea took a deep breath. “I can breathe underwater. And I can swim really fast and far. I’m not sure I’ve ever been this far from shore, but… well, there’s no other option.”

“You’re going to swim to shore and, um, tell them where to find me?” Miranda felt her panic rising at the thought of Andrea leaving her alone.

“God, no.” Andrea gripped her harder. “No. I would never leave you alone out here. We’ll swim together.”

“But how?”

“You can, um, ride on me. On my back, like you’re riding a dolphin. I’ll stay close to the surface so you can breathe.” Andrea suddenly looked embarrassed. “Um, we should lose the dress and shoes, though. If you don’t mind. They’re just heavy, and…”

“Fine.” Miranda wasn’t stupid. Her modesty wasn’t worth their lives. She reached behind her neck and pulled on the zipper. This time, held above water by Andrea, she was able to slide it down easily.

Andrea released her hold to allow Miranda to slide the dress off, and then they were facing each other in their underwear. Well, Miranda in her underwear and Andrea in a bra plus her… tail. She felt an inappropriate and untimely spark of interest, and tried not to think about what it meant that her pesky attraction remained when Andrea was half fish.

“I’ll take off your shoes,” said Andrea. “Be right back.” She disappeared under the water, and a moment later, Miranda felt fingers unbuckling her sandals. Then her feet were free, the three-thousand-dollar shoes on their way to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.

Andrea re-emerged. “We should start swimming.”

“Okay…” Miranda looked around. “But in what direction?” She could only see water.

“Um, the ship was going that way.” Andrea pointed behind her. “So we should go that way.” She pointed to her right.

“Are you sure?”

“Umm.” Andrea bit her lip.

“Oh good God, Andrea.”

“I’m pretty sure. Come on, it’s our best shot. Here you can hold on to me.” She let go of Miranda and turned around. “Like a piggy back ride.”

Miranda gripped Andrea’s shoulders and slid her legs around her hips, trying not to think about the curve of her assistant’s ass that seemed to be identical in fish form. Or the feel of her own breasts in a thin, wet bra, pressed against Andrea’s very human back.

“I’m going to try to make sure you can breathe, but if you can’t or if something is wrong, tap my shoulder, okay?” Andrea looked back for confirmation.

“Okay.”

“Are you ready?”

If there was anything else to say, it was utterly lost to her. “I’m ready.”

Miranda held on as Andrea assumed a horizontal position, her tail plunging into the water with a splash.

Then Andrea was swimming. She held her hands in front of her, palms pressed together as if in prayer, while her lower half propelled them forward. Her tail pumped in smooth, strong strokes, and water whooshed past Miranda on both sides.

As they picked up speed, Miranda began to believe, for the first time since she fell into the water, that she might survive.

**~ * ♥ * ~**

Underwater, everything was quiet. It was one of the things Andy liked best about being a mermaid—the chance to be alone with her thoughts, far away from her problems on land.

But now, swimming for survival with Miranda Priestly clinging to her back, she had nothing to do but think about the sudden collision of her secret mermaid world and the problems she usually swam to escape.

They weren’t going to die. It just wasn’t an option. She couldn’t let herself think that way, not if she wanted to hold it together.

So instead, she thought about what would happen back on land, now that Miranda knew her biggest secret. Would it bring them closer together?

As hard as she’d worked to prevent anyone at _Runway_ from finding out that she was a mermaid, the idea that Miranda knew something so private about her, made her feel a little gooey. Miranda would keep the secret... right? After all, Andy's tail was currently saving their lives.

Andy thought about the hug that Miranda had given her there in the water. Was it the stress of the moment, or a sign that Miranda actually cared for her? She hoped it meant something, even though she knew her stronger feelings would never be reciprocated. Miranda wasn’t gay.

That’s why she wasn’t going to think about how she could feel Miranda’s ass on her back, with nothing but skimpy panties between their skin. Or those slim, shapely, naked legs.

After some time, maybe an hour, fatigue set in. It was harder to swim with Miranda on her back, light as her slim boss was. Normally, Andy swam far below the surface, where she could maximize the efficiency of her movements. Keeping Miranda above water meant she couldn’t use her tail’s full range of motion without breaking through the surface. Not to mention the waves; they weren’t strong that day, but they didn’t help.

She slowed and twisted onto her back until she was looking up at Miranda, who was now straddling her stomach. “Hi. Are you okay?”

“Fine.” Miranda’s silver-white hair was drying in clumps, and the only trace of her makeup was a black smear down her sunburned cheek. But there in the sunlight, in her cream-colored bra, she was breathtaking.

Andy was almost afraid to ask. “Any sign of land?”

Miranda squinted. “I’m nearsighted. But I think I see… something.” 

“Hang on. I’ll catch you.” Andy dropped her tail down in the water until she was upright, taking Miranda into her arms.

Miranda held on while Andy gently swished her tail to keep them afloat.

Andy gazed into the distance. Her own vision was pretty good. “It’s land.” Relief washed over her. “It’s not very big. It might just be an island or something, but I really need a place to rest.”

Worry creased Miranda’s features. “Can you make it?”

“Yes,” Andy said firmly. “No problem.”

Just a few more miles to save Miranda’s life, and her own. Energy coursed through her. Almost there.


	4. Chapter 4

When they reached the shore, Miranda slid off Andrea’s back and started walking.

Andrea kept swimming up to the very edge of the water, and then she began to crawl on the beach with her hands, grunting as she dragged her tail behind her.

 _She can’t walk_ , Miranda realized. However Andrea had transformed into a mermaid, she didn’t seem to have the ability to change back whenever she wanted. “Here. Let me help you.”

“Oh, I’m fine.” But her cheeks were flushed, and her voice was weak.

“Nonsense.” Miranda reached out with both hands.

Andrea reluctantly grabbed one hand, then the other. “Thanks.”

Miranda dragged her through the sand until they were a few yards past the tide. Andrea was heavy as a mermaid—maybe twice as heavy as a size-six woman with legs—but Miranda’s discipline at the gym paid off.

Andrea groaned as she rolled onto her back. Miranda dropped down beside her, panting from exertion. For a couple of minutes, neither spoke as they caught their breath.

Miranda turned to Andrea. “So. You’re a fish.”

Andrea burst out laughing. “You know, I used to wonder what your reaction would be if I ever transformed at the office, right in front of you. Maybe that was it.”

Miranda chuckled. Then, their eyes met and they were smiling at each other, sharing a moment of relief.

“How did you turn your legs into a tail?” Miranda asked. “How did… what’s going on?”

“I have legs when I’m dry, but when I’m wet…” Andrea gestured at herself. “This happens.”

Miranda flashed back to the meeting with Solé. “Is that why you ran out of that meeting, when you spilled water on yourself?”

“Yeah. I only had a few seconds. I grew a tail right there in the stairwell. I’m sorry I lied to you, but...” She shrugged. “It’s not the kind of thing most people believe.”

“Incredible.” Miranda studied Andrea’s scales. They looked like fish scales, but bigger and cleaner somehow. Up close, they were beautiful, iridescent and sparkling in the sunlight. “So this happens with any amount of water? Even a little splash?”

“Unfortunately, yes. I was so scared to come to this party with you, in the middle of the ocean with all those people.” Andrea looked at her seriously. “But now, I’m so glad that I came.”

“How did you know what happened to me? Did you know that it was—”

“Crystal.” Andrea‘s eyes darkened. “Someone told me where you’d gone, but when I went to find you, she was there on the deck alone. She told me you’d jumped, and that she was going to make me jump too.”

Miranda chest tightened as she realized what Andrea was saying. Crystal had tried to kill _her_ Andrea, just for being in the wrong place. For caring enough to go after Miranda. “Fuck. I’m going to end her. That sadistic little psycho.“ Then something else occurred to her. “Wait. Did she see your tail? Does she know?”

“No.” Andrea shook her head. “Crystal saw me jump, but I swam underwater until I found you. She didn’t see anything. She thinks we’re both dead.”

“Well. She’s in for a shock.” Miranda imagined the look on Crystal’s face when she realized her plan had failed—and that she was headed to prison for attempted murder, times two. The image brought her some cheer.

But Andrea had turned somber. “They probably all think we’re dead by now. I wonder if they’ll even look for us.”

Miranda reached over and squeezed her hand. “No one’s dead. Thanks to you.”

Andrea squeezed back. “I just don’t know how we’re going to explain it.”

“Let’s worry about that later,” Miranda said, although she had the same concern. “How long until your tail...ah?” She waved at it.

“My legs will come back when I’m completely dry.” Andrea touched her damp hair. “Could be a while.”

Miranda had about one hundred questions, starting with how on Earth this was even possible, but for now she had to know if they’d actually made it to safety. She stood and brushed the sand from her body. “I’ll look around, try to figure out where we are. You can, ah…”

“Wait here?” Andrea flashed an amused smile and wiggled her tail. She was helpless on land without her legs.

“Right, wait here. That’s…”

“That’s all?” Andrea’s eyebrows lifted. “Did you really almost say it?”

Miranda felt her cheeks warm. She had been about to deliver her usual line, having become so accustomed to addressing her second assistant in a certain way—a necessary measure to ensure she didn’t reveal her changing feelings, but wholly inappropriate for the moment.

She shrugged, offering a little smile. “Reflex.”

~ * ♥ * ~

After some time in the sun, Andy’s hair dried into crunchy curls, and her fish scales disappeared as her tail split back into legs and feet. Unfortunately, the change left her stark naked, except for her filthy red bra.

As soon as she'd hit the water, she’d stripped off her clothes without thinking. In retrospect, perhaps she could have shoved her panties into a bra cup to keep them with her, but in the moment, nothing had mattered but finding Miranda in time.

She glanced around the beach for something she could use to cover herself, but saw only sand, shrubs, and stones. Fantastic. In the Disney movie, Ariel had found cloth and rope within seconds, but Andy was apparently doomed to a different fate.

She pushed to her feet and immediately felt dizzy. Her mouth was dry, and her stomach was growling for sustenance. She hoped they'd found civilization, or at least some place with food.

Andy walked up the beach to a wall of rock that extended as far as she could see in both directions. With no steps in sight, she began to climb, latching on to protruding rocks above her and carefully testing potential footholds before easing herself upwards.

The rocks brushed against her naked body, and she had the horrifying image of Miranda appearing somewhere below, looking up to see her with her legs spread open. She began to climb faster, praying that at the top she’d find something, anything to wear—in addition to a sign of human life.

As she extended her foot in a side flag, her hand slipped. She shifted her weight and flailed for another hold, but found only a smooth slab. Screaming, she lost her grip and slammed into the rocky ground below.

~ * ♥ * ~

Miranda heard the scream from the other side of the beach. Despite her thirst and fatigue, she took off running along the shore until she saw Andrea—naked and crumpled beneath the rocks.

“Andrea!” She bolted up the hill, ignoring the sting as pebbles dug into her feet. Within seconds, she was at the girl’s side. Holy hell, was she breathing?

“Miranda?” Andrea whispered. 

_Thank God._ “I’m here. What the hell happened?”

Andrea turned her head until Miranda could see her eyes. They were wet with tears. “Um, I slipped.”

“Are you injured?”

Andrea groaned, gripping her side. “I’m a bit bruised, um… and my ribs really hurt.”

Miranda sucked in her breath. “What were you thinking?”

“Sorry.” She winced. “I just wanted to see where we are.”

Before she knew what she was doing, Miranda reached out to stroke her face. “Oh, Andrea.” The girl needed a hospital. That made it even harder to share what she’d learned. “We’re on an island. I walked some of the perimeter and saw the rest from a high spot down that way. There’s no one else here.”

Andrea closed her eyes. “Oh no.” Then she looked up. “Can you even see the mainland?”

“Yes.” That was the one flicker of hope. “It’s miles in the distance, but I can see buildings.”

Andrea slowly pushed herself up to a sitting position, her face contorted in pain. “What are we going to do?”

“Let’s get away from these rocks. We’ll get you settled, and then we can talk.” Maybe on the way to softer ground, she’d think of something.

Miranda helped Andrea to her feet, trying—with very little success—not to notice her flagrant nudity. The curve of her stomach, soft but slim, trailing down to the patch of brown curls that Andrea had no way to hide. Since the rescue, she’d been filled with regret for how she’d treated Andrea in the past, but now more than anything she regretted her comments about her second assistant’s size. The body before her was perfect, not to mention magical.

As Andrea collapsed against her, leaning into Miranda’s own bare skin, she silently implored her own body to behave. She was lucky to have a bra and panties, while poor Andrea only had a bra — but those panties would only hide so much if she didn’t stop responding.

They sat down in a bed of grass on soft sand. “How are you feeling?” asked Miranda.

“Sore. Tired. Hungry. Thirsty. And um, naked.” Andrea looked at her nervously. “I don’t suppose you found anything to help with any of the above?”

“I’m afraid not. There’s not much here but sand, rocks, and grass.”

“And it’s getting late.” They both looked up at the sky, now streaked with an orange sunset.

“Maybe someone will find us,” Andrea said. “They must know we’re missing by now. Shouldn’t they send boats and helicopters? Things like that?”

“You’d think.” Miranda sighed. “Maybe they already have. I’m not sure they’d know where to start.”

“Um, seaweed is edible,” Andrea said. “I could find some for us, if I get out there soon. I can see underwater really well. I just can’t see in the dark.”

“You’re in no condition to swim. Tail or not, you could barely walk over here.”

Andrea hung her head. “So we’re waiting to be rescued. That’s our only chance, isn’t it? Fuck. I’m so sorry. I blew our chance to swim to shore.”

“You’re the only reason we have a chance,” Miranda said quietly. “You and your… tail.”

Andrea looked up, searching her eyes. “You’re coping pretty well with the whole mermaid thing.”

“Yes, well. I’m not sure that any of these events or revelations have actually sunk in yet.” She paused. “So how did you... were you born this way?”

Andrea shook her head. “No, I was a normal kid. Nobody is born with a tail, I don’t think. It’s something that happened to me—something supernatural.”

She took a breath. “My parents took me on a trip to Australia when I was thirteen, and I spent a lot of time exploring by myself. And I met this girl. Jessica. She was two years older, and I thought she was the coolest girl I’d ever met. We started meeting every day, going to the beach. But she never wanted to swim. Then one day, she told me she had a secret. We went to a secluded spot on the beach, and she jumped into the water and showed me. She was a mermaid. And she asked if I wanted to be one too.”

“How?” Miranda asked.

“A kiss in the ocean, under the moon.”

“The full moon? Seriously?”

“Any moon. Moonlight. I’m not a werewolf.”

“Right, of course. This is much more logical.”

Andrea laughed. “Fair point. I know it sounds crazy. It was crazy. But when I saw her swimming around, so beautiful and free, I would have done anything to be like her. And coincidentally, I would have done anything to kiss her. So…”

“You wanted to kiss her? A girl?” It came out before Miranda could think. “I’m sorry, that’s not appropriate to ask.”

Andrea gave her a shy smile. “It’s okay. I’m bi.”

“Oh. Well. That’s… that’s fine. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with it.” _Get it together, Miranda._ “So she kissed you, and you grew a tail?”

“Yeah, but it was so much more than that. The feeling of that kiss, of transforming for the first time—it was the most incredible high. Like nothing I’d ever felt. And then we went swimming. I could breathe underwater, like it was nothing. This whole world was suddenly open to me. I can’t even describe how exhilarating it was.”

Andrea sighed. “I didn’t realize, back then, how hard it would be to never get wet in front of anyone. I’ve had some close calls, some really scary moments.”

“So you can’t… turn it off? You can’t stop being a mermaid?”

Andrea shrugged. “If there’s a way, I don’t know what it is. I probably should have asked but… well, I didn’t. And I lost touch with Jessica when we left Australia. I’ve never met anyone else like her. Like me.”

“Who else knows?” Miranda asked softly.

“My parents. I managed to hide it for a few weeks, til we got back to America. But then I got caught thanks to some unexpected rain. Oh, they were pissed. They wanted it reversed, but what could they do? They couldn’t take me to the doctor and demand a cure. Not without subjecting me to a lifetime of scrutiny and scientists poking at my tail. I've also told a couple of… significant others. Not many. Not all of them. I learned how to be careful.”

Cook boy? Miranda wanted to ask, but she didn’t. She’d only known Andrea’s secret for a few hours, and already she felt perversely jealous at the thought of anyone else knowing.

Suddenly, Andrea was staring at her with frightening intensity. “ _Miranda_.”

“What?”

“That’s how we can get out of here. The sky is clear tonight. We have the ocean, the moon.”

Miranda gasped as she realized what Andrea was saying.

“You could be a mermaid too.”


	5. Chapter 5

Andy held her breath as she watched for a reaction. For a moment, Miranda just stared at her, lips parted in shock. Then she looked down at her legs.

“You want to turn me into a mermaid?”

“Of course I don’t _want to_. But I want to survive. I can’t carry you with my injury, but I think I could swim by myself—and if you were...like me…you could swim beside me.”

Already, she was lying. Because she _did_ want to turn her boss into a mermaid. It was messed up and wrong, but all she wanted in the world was to kiss Miranda Priestly and swim together in the moonlight. To share her secret, to have that bond forever—she wanted it.

Miranda frowned, creasing her forehead. “If it worked, I’d never be able to go back. I mean, I’d have legs when I was dry but…”

“You’d get a tail every time you touched water, yes. You would have to be careful, like I am. No more swimming pools, no more showers.”

“No more showers?” Miranda gasped. “But how do you clean your legs and… uh…” She blushed bright red, glancing away.

Andy felt her own cheeks burning. “Believe me, there are ways. Um, I could teach—tell—tell you. If you want. But it involves solutions that aren’t quite water, um, like for shaving… plus the fact that you’ve got some time between getting wet and the actual transformation. Anyway, I’m very clean, you know, everywhere.” Dear God, was she actually having this conversation with Miranda? She wanted to die.

“Look,” Andy said quickly, “there are some inconveniences for sure, but it’s not all bad. Being a mermaid is an incredible gift. You have access to this whole underwater world that’s peaceful and beautiful and nothing like being on land. Imagine swimming through tropical waters, no snorkel or equipment or anything—and you’re just free.”

Miranda’s eyes were full of turmoil. “I don’t know.”

“The thing is, we don’t have any water. There’s no food. I don’t know how long we can wait to be rescued. If we don’t swim to shore tomorrow, I don’t know if we ever can. And then if nobody comes…” She wrapped her arms around herself. “I don’t want us to die here.”

“Of course I don’t want that either. But you don’t even know if it would work. Just because it happened once…”

“That’s true. I don’t know for sure. But will you try?”

Miranda stared at the ocean for a long time. Finally she said, “Okay. You may attempt to turn me into a fish.”

Andy exhaled. “Okay. We’ll try as soon as it’s dark.”

 _Oh my God, it’s happening._ Inside she was bursting, but Andy tried to keep her expression serious. Technically, they were discussing a plan for survival, with their lives at stake. This was nothing to celebrate.

Yet, all she could think was that soon, she was going to kiss Miranda Priestly. On the mouth. With her explicit permission. Of course, she wished it were under different circumstances, and that she’d had a chance to brush her teeth. But still. A kiss. She couldn’t stop imagining the feel of Miranda’s lips against her own, and had to stop herself from touching her own lips multiple times.

Miranda looked at her. “What are you thinking about?”

“Huh? Oh, just trying to picture you with a tail.”

“Hmmph.” Miranda turned back to gaze at the sunset over the ocean.

 _And that if we die here, I’m gonna die happy._ Best to keep that part to herself.

~ * ♥ * ~

Ridiculous. Utterly ridiculous. There she was, in her underwear, allowing her mostly naked second assistant to lead her into the ocean in an attempt to turn her—a grown woman, over 50—into a damn mermaid. It was absurd.

Absurd and terrifying. What if it worked? What if it didn’t work? And how could she hold it together when their lips touched for the first and only time? She’d worked so hard to maintain professional distance, to not let her feelings show in any way. Now, she was afraid it was all about to crumble around her. They’d kiss, and—tail or not—Andrea would know.

They’d waited until the sky was dark and glittering with stars. The moon overhead was nearly, but not quite full—bright and clear, the white moonlight reflected in the ocean. If Andrea’s Australian fish friend could be trusted, the conditions were right.

Andrea paused at the edge of the water. “Are you absolutely sure?”

Sure? How the fuck could she be sure? 

“Yes.”

“Okay. Let’s go in.”

The water seemed colder in the dark, or maybe it was just the chilly air. Miranda began to shiver as she took a few steps forward, the water splashing her up to her knees.

Andrea walked a few paces and then collapsed as her legs transformed beneath her. She dove in and resurfaced. “God, that feels good.”

“Good?”

“I’m not cold anymore. With my tail, I can tolerate a much wider range of temperatures.”

“Oh. That sounds... nice.”

“My ribs still hurt, but I can swim a bit.” The water swished around them as Andrea waved her tail.

“Well. Good.” Miranda felt lost. “What should I… ah…”

“Come all the way in, til the water is up to your chest. I don’t know if that’s necessary, but I figure we should replicate my first transformation exactly. Oh, and, um… you should take off your panties. If it works, the tail will split them right open.”

“Is that what happened to… whatever you were wearing?”

“Yeah. I had myself wrapped up in pleather and plastic, but once I hit the water the outfit was toast.”

The knowledge that the hideous monstrosity was not only gone but destroyed brought Miranda some comfort as she slid off her panties and tucked them into her bra. Then she moved toward Andrea, stepping deeper and deeper into the water until they were facing each other, the waves lapping against their breasts.

“Are you ready?” Andrea asked softly.

“I’m cold.” She rubbed her arms. “So let’s just do it. Do it now.”

“Okay.” Andrea moved closer to her, gently placing her hands on Miranda’s shoulders. Then she whispered, “Close your eyes.”

Miranda closed her eyes and parted her lips. Soft lips pressed against hers, tender and reverent and warm. The kiss was suffused with emotion, like it wasn’t for science but for love.

Miranda pulled Andrea against her, melting into her mouth. Andrea tasted like saltwater, like the ocean, and Miranda was immersed. Her shivering ceased as heat flowed through her and swirled around her, enveloping her body.

Suddenly, she was falling, and pulling Andrea down with her. Her head plunged below the surface, and she felt it. Something unfamiliar, but clearly part of her, brushing the ocean floor.

She let go of Andrea and ran her hands down her hips, to where her legs should have been. Scales. She had scales. She gasped, breathing hard as she—wait. How was she breathing? Her chest rose and fell. Yet she didn’t feel the slightest urge to surface for air. It was magic. She stretched out, floating underwater as an intoxicating energy rippled through her. She could feel the moonlight on her skin and scales and fins.

Andrea was pulling on her arm, urging her back to the surface. Taking a guess, she swished her tail back and forth, and the motion propelled her upward until her head was above water.

Andrea’s broke through seconds later. “It worked! Oh my God, it worked. How do you feel?”

Miranda wrapped her arms around Andrea, who returned the embrace with strong, secure arms. Hours ago, she’d held on to keep from drowning. But now, she clung to the younger woman because every cell in her body was pulling her closer, connecting them, telling her to stay. “I feel incredible.”

“No regrets?” Andrea asked anxiously.

“God, no.” Miranda pulled back to search the shadows of Andrea’s face and eyes, and then she crushed their lips together. Andrea kissed back, responsive and eager as Miranda’s tongue explored.

“I love you,” Miranda said. Somewhere from outside herself, she heard the words and vaguely understood that she shouldn’t be saying such things. But in that moment, it was the only truth that mattered.

“Oh Miranda.” Andrea sighed happily. “I love you too. I’ve loved you for so long.”

“I’m a mermaid.” Miranda laughed.

“Yes, you are.” Andrea kissed her again. “We’re both mermaids. Together.”

She never wanted the feeling to end.

~ * ♥ * ~

When they finally returned to the beach, Andy felt giddy and punchy, like everything was funny. Miranda seemed to be in a similar state, splashing and laughing like a schoolgirl as they attempted to crawl out of the water, dragging their tails behind them.

“Really, Andrea,” Miranda said, mock-scolding. “You didn’t tell me this thing would be so heavy.” She was attempting a modified army crawl, with limited success.

“Oh noooo. You’re not a size zero mermaid. It’s the end of the world.” Andy flopped against the sand in a fit of giggles, then immediately regretted the movement. “Owww. My damn ribs.”

“Are you okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine. They don’t hurt as much as they did before, actually.” It was true—although, probably not a coincidence that she was riding the high of kissing Miranda’s legs off in the moonlight.

“Well, good.” Miranda resumed her crawling. “I’d hate for you to strain yourself mocking the size of my tail.” She said it sternly, but Andy could tell that she was joking.

When they reached the grassy area, they lay down beside each other, tails fanned out in front of them. “I feel different,” Miranda said quietly.

Andy knew she meant more than just having a tail. “Like, in a good way?”

“Yeah.” It was too dark to see her face, but Andy knew she was smiling.

“Me too.” Andy scooted closer and leaned in until she could feel Miranda’s breath. Their lips met in a long kiss.

When they broke apart, Andy leaned her head against Miranda’s shoulder and closed her eyes. Soon, they were both asleep.


	6. Chapter 6

Miranda awoke bathed in the yellow light of a cloudless dawn. She looked down and saw that Andrea was curled up next to her, snoring softly. Their legs had returned, and they were both completely naked except for their stained, sandy bras. And she couldn’t help but notice that one of Andrea’s bra cups had been dislodged at some point, revealing a round, creamy breast.

Warmth pooled in her belly, reminding her of how badly she wanted Andrea. But what the hell were they doing? The night before had been magical, almost spiritual as Andrea had shared her gift and changed Miranda forever. But did this have any hope of working, of not ending in heartache?

Well, there would be plenty of time for regret later. First they had to deal with the business of saving their lives, and they had no time to waste. Miranda wasn’t sure if she had the strength to swim all the way to the mainland, having had very little time to try out her tail. But she knew that the longer they went without water and food, the harder it would be for both of them to make the trip.

“Andrea,” she nudged her arm. “Wake up. It’s morning.”

“Hmmmm?” Andrea squirmed and began to stretch, her eyes still closed. Then she shot straight up. “Oh no. Wait… what?”

Miranda was amused. “Having a bit of morning amnesia?”

“Oh man.” Andrea covered her face with her hands. “I thought I’d overslept for work, and that I’d be late with your coffee.”

“Ah.” Miranda wasn’t sure how to feel about that, particularly in light of the previous night’s developments. “Well, that’s… not what’s happening right now.”

“Got it.” Andrea nodded. “I’m awake, and um, I remember.” She gave Miranda a shy smile.

“Me too." Miranda reached out to brush a strand of hair out of Andrea’s face. “But right now, our top priority is getting off this island. We should start swimming.”

“Right now?”

“No, after we’ve had a nice brunch.” 

For a second she feared her tone was too biting, but then Andrea chuckled. “Okay, good point. There’s nothing else to do.”

Andrea sat up, and then looked down. “Oops.” She quickly fixed her bra, then shifted her legs awkwardly, as though trying to hide her naked lower half.

“Andrea,” Miranda said gently, “it’s nothing I haven’t seen.” She meant it both ways. First, they were two women... and second, despite her honorable intentions, she’d snuck glances at every inch of Andrea’s bare skin in the past day.

“Right. Sorry.” Andrea blushed. “I just hope we can cover ourselves, you know, before someone sees us.”

“One problem at a time. How is your injury today?”

Andrea stretched, making a face. “It hurts. I won’t lie. But I’m okay to swim, since my tail does all the work. And you’ll be with me.”

The word on her tongue was _always._ Again, what the hell was she thinking? Instead, she said brusquely, “Yes, of course. Come on, let’s start walking. I’ll show you how to cross the island without scaling a cliff.”

They walked along the beach until they reached the grassy path that Miranda had found the day before. Soon, they were standing at the shore, looking across the water.

“I wonder where we’ll end up,” Andrea said.

Miranda had no idea. “Somewhere between the city and the Hamptons. It could be another island—but the buildings mean this one has phones, and police.”

“And food,” Andrea added. “God, remember food and water? So good.”

“Indeed.” Miranda paused. “So in terms of swimming long distances. How long did it take you to get the hang of it?”

“Not long at all. I’ll show you when we get in the water, but it’s really just instinct. Our tails are powerful, and we don’t have to come up for air. Really, we just go.” Andrea brightened. “Oh, and wait til you open your eyes underwater. It won’t be like last night, when it was dark. Mermaids can see really well—it’s like wearing goggles, but way better.”

“Fascinating.”

“And we’ll be able to see each other. Just stay beside me, and get my attention if you need anything. We’ll swim up to the surface so we can talk.”

Miranda nodded. “All right.”

There was nothing to do but begin. Miranda tensed when her feet touched the water, somehow afraid of changing but also afraid that it wouldn’t happen. Within seconds, she felt warm all over as energy coursed through her, and soon she was flopping in the water with a full mermaid tail.

“It’s orange!” Andrea pointed. “I love it.”

Miranda studied her tail in the daylight. The scales were the color of marmalade, streaked with crimson. “Not the best color for my complexion,” she observed. “But not the worst.”

“You’ll just have to use your considerable influence in the fashion world to ensure this color is always in style.”

"Hmmm. Maybe I will.”

“Ready to swim?”

Her stomach lurched in some combination of hunger and anxiety. “Ready.”

Andrea dove underwater first, and Miranda followed. Andrea had been right—she could see everything, and her eyes didn’t sting at all. She looked around and saw seaweed, fish, and seashells. But nothing compared to the sight of Andrea in the water, her brown hair floating around her like a halo and her green tail glistening in ripples of light.

Andrea showed her how to move her tail, and Miranda did her best to mimic the motion. She found herself shooting forward with little effort, and she wondered if this was part of the magic or if her tail was really that powerful.

After a bit of practice, Andrea nodded to her, and then they were off, leaving a cloud of bubbles in their wake.

~ * ♥ * ~

Andy wasn’t surprised that Miranda took to swimming like a pro; there wasn’t much that her formidable boss couldn’t do when she was determined. But she hadn’t expected how incredible it would be to watch.

Miranda was gorgeous on land, of course, but in the ocean she was something else. Beautiful but also natural and free, with untamed hair and eyes full of wonder. As they moved through the water together, Andy felt herself falling even harder. She dared to hope that it was a beginning, the first swim of many with Miranda at her side.

They swam for almost an hour without a break, sometimes pausing to check in with each other, but never swimming to the surface to talk. Andy found that they could communicate without words—pointing, nodding, and agreeing to continue.

Eventually, the ocean floor rose up beneath them until Andy was certain they were near the shore. She stopped Miranda with a hand on her shoulder and signaled that they should swim to the surface.

Together, they peeked out of the water, remaining submerged from the chin down. Andy almost started to cry when she saw how close they were to safety. There were people along the beach, walking, playing, and sunning themselves. She even saw a lifeguard who could surely summon help fast. Once they had legs, of course.

“We’re almost there,” she said happily. “Oh, thank God.”

“But we can’t just swim up and ask for a hand,” Miranda pointed out. “How are we going to get dry before anyone sees us?”

Andy scanned the beach. “There,” she said, pointing to a pier in the distance. “See the tall grass and the trees just beyond the pier? We can hide out there until we dry off.”

Miranda nodded, but she looked nervous. Andy understood. Miranda hadn’t been around anyone since becoming a mermaid. Andy remembered the paranoia she’d felt at first, before she’d gained confidence in her ability to keep the secret. On top of that, Miranda was a celebrity, not a huge star but recognizable and in the tabloids regularly. Exposure would be devastating for her.

“Hey, we’re almost there,” Andy said, trying to reassure her. “Homestretch.”

They dipped back under the water and resumed swimming. Andy’s ribs were screaming, and she felt weak from hunger—almost like she was finally letting herself feel it now that relief was in sight. Then finally, they reached the shore.

Andy scanned down the beach. There were people about twenty yards away, but they appeared to be preoccupied with their own activities.The area they’d found appeared to be their best option.

Poor Miranda looked petrified. “You really think no one will see us?”

“It’s okay,” Andy whispered. “We can hide under those trees. I do this sort of thing all the time, after a swim. People don’t look around as much as you’d think.”

Andy swam to the edge of the water and began to drag herself up the beach. Miranda followed, looking like she was going to be sick. Neither spoke as they crawled into the tall grass, between two shady trees.

Soon, they were huddled together, their arms and tails touching.

“Hey, we made it." Andy stroked the back of Miranda’s hand. “We’re alive.”

Miranda allowed a small smile. “Won’t Crystal be surprised.”

“So, what’s our plan, exactly? I mean, when we have our legs back? Do we have to walk in front of all those people?” Now that she no longer had to focus on survival, Andy could concentrate on new anxieties, like the fact that she was mostly naked on a public beach.

Miranda pulled her dirty, wrinkled panties out of her bra. “Well. I’ve got these.”

“I’ll go,” Andy said. “Um, if I can borrow them. I can tell the lifeguard what happened, and then we can come back for you with a towel or something. I’m not… I mean, I don’t think either of us will be recognized, but I’m definitely not famous.”

At the mention of her notoriety, Miranda grew even paler. “All right. And you’re going to tell him… what?”

Right. That was a problem. “Well… the truth, I guess? Sort of? Crystal pushed us overboard, but we managed to get to shore.”

“So our story is that we’ve been swimming for twenty hours? They’ll never believe that.”

“Yeah.” Andy worried her lower lip. “Well, they won’t know how far we were from the island when we went overboard. We could say that it was just a short swim, and we spent the night there… and then, um…”

Miranda arched an eyebrow.

Inspiration struck. “Oh! We found a raft.”

“A raft?”

“Yes, on the island. We found a raft, and we rode it all the way to shore. Then we just let it float back out to sea, because we were so tired, and there was no point in holding on to it. Hmmm, or maybe we left it here in the sand, and someone took it. Yeah, that’s probably what happened.”

Miranda pinched the bridge of her nose. “This is insane.”

“Okay, what’s your genius idea?”

Miranda pressed her lips together. She held out the panties. “Fine.”

Andy pulled them up to her thighs. “Um.” They were obviously too small. She sucked in her stomach and pulled harder, managing to hike them high enough to cover her front and a good chunk of her bottom. Embarrassed, she glanced at Miranda, expecting to find disapproval and perhaps an unkind comment about her weight.

Instead, Andy saw… desire? Miranda’s pupils were dilated, her lips slightly parted. Then she pursed her lips and looked away.

“I’ll be back soon,” Andy promised. “Just wait here… not that you’d go anywhere… okay, bye.”

 _Focus, Sachs. Food, water, pants._


	7. Chapter 7

Miranda watched from her hiding spot as Andrea approached the lifeguard. They stood there talking for what seemed like ages, but was probably fewer than ten minutes. A land rover pulled up—the Coast Guard, maybe? Andrea got in, and then finally the vehicle was heading in her direction.

Andrea jumped out, wearing a long white t-shirt and bearing a bright red towel. She rushed over to Miranda, followed by a male officer. His polo indicated that he was US Coast Guard.

“Here.” Andrea gave her the towel. “They have water bottles for us too.” She leaned in to whisper, “Just be careful. Hold the bottle with your towel.”

So it was beginning, her new life of always worrying that the slightest splash of water could expose her as a freak of nature. Miranda wrapped the towel around her body and allowed Andrea to help her to her feet.

“Ma’am, I’m Officer Bradley. Your friend told me you’ve both been stranded at sea for almost a day?” He kept his voice neutral, but Miranda could sense the skepticism.

“That’s right.” She looked him in the eye.

“She needs water,” Andrea said. “And clothes and food.”

“Understood. I’m taking you both to Stony Brook.”

“The hospital,” Andrea said to Miranda. “We’re in Southampton.”

“Well then call the Southampton police,” Miranda said. “Because a woman named Crystal Medina tried to murder us.”

~ * ♥ * ~

At the hospital, Andy learned that her ribs were bruised, but not broken. The doctors also diagnosed her with dehydration and gave her IV fluids, along with a stale hospital hamburger that tasted like ecstasy.

She called her parents, who were hysterical; news that she and Miranda were missing had evidently made the news.

Finally, she was just starting to fall asleep when two police officers arrived to question her, one woman and one man.

“I’d be more comfortable with my friend here,” Andy said. “I mean my boss. Can’t you speak to us together?” Despite their protests, they’d been separated in the emergency room.

The male officer narrowed his eyes. “We already spoke to Ms. Priestly."

“Oh. Um, okay.”

So Andy told them what happened, with a few crucial edits. Crystal had pushed Miranda overboard, and then she did the same to Andy. They managed to find each other in the water, and made their way to a small island just off the coast, where they spent the night. Miraculously, they’d found a raft that allowed them to paddle all the way to the shore.

“Where is the raft now?” asked the woman.

“Oh, um, who knows. On the beach, probably. Unless somebody took it."

“I see.” She paused. “What color was it?”

Shit, shit, shit. They should have spent more time coordinating their stories.

“It was… cerulean blue.” She hoped Miranda would somehow have the same thought.

“You two must be strong swimmers,” the other officer said, “to make it all the way back here.”

“I work out." Andy lifted her chin. “We both do. And we didn’t really have a choice. We wanted to survive. Giving up wasn’t an option.”

When the questioning ended at last, a nurse arrived with a set of scrubs. “Would you like to get cleaned up before putting these on? A shower?”

“Oh no,” Andy said quickly. “Thanks, but really I just want to go home. Um, where is my friend? Can I see her now?”

The nurse gave her a knowing smile. “Your ‘friend’ has been anxious to see you too. Don’t worry, you’re both being discharged soon. In fact, she was ready an hour ago, but she wouldn’t hear of leaving without you.”

Andy sighed with relief. She couldn’t stand being away from Miranda when they were both vulnerable, both trying to tell a plausible story and keep the secret when it would have been so much easier together.

When they finally let her go, Miranda was waiting in the hallway. Miranda, like her, had evidently refused the shower. They were both filthy from the sand and seawater, the clean scrubs a stark contrast to every inch of their skin and hair. Still, Andy greeted Miranda with an embrace.

Miranda squeezed back. “Let’s get out of here.”

“Okay, but to where? And how? We don’t have our wallets.”

“There’s a car waiting out back.” Miranda waved her hand. “As for money, I had Emily arrange everything.”

The same Emily who was supposed to be at her sister’s wedding? Andy almost asked, but thought better of it. “Okay.”

“I booked a hotel room a few blocks away,” Miranda continued. “I absolutely can’t spend another second coated in filth. So we’ll clean up there, and then Roy will take us back to the city.”

Andy was impressed. Without money or ID, she had somehow worked the phones and arranged for everything. _She’s so powerful._ It made her heart flutter.

Roy greeted them both with a relieved smile. “It’s good to see you alive and well.”

“You saw that we were missing?” Andy asked.

“Of course. It was all over the news. They’ve been searching for your… for you.”

 _For our bodies_. Andy shuddered. She’d never been in mortal danger—well save a short moment at gunpoint—but every time she thought about Miranda almost drowning, she felt sick

“There’s reporters all over the waiting room,” Roy added. “That’s why I parked in the alley.”

Roy drove them to a hotel and then handed them a suitcase and two key cards.

“Thanks,” said Andy. “We’re already checked in?”

“Of course.” Miranda gestured for her to follow.

“What’s in the suitcase?”

“Clothes, makeup, toiletries, snacks.”

“Wow," Andy said. "You really took care of everything.”

“Yes, well. We’re back on my turf.”

Andy grinned. Turf apparently meant any place on land.

“I arranged for a suite,” Miranda said as they stepped into the elevator. “There’s a living room, and we’ll each have a room with a shower. I thought we might need to help each other with the… well. I’m not quite sure how it works.” Her cheeks turned pink.

“I’m glad,” Andy said. “I’ll talk you through it. And… I’m not ready to be apart.” She tentatively reached for Miranda’s hand.

Miranda hesitated but then accepted it, and they walked to their hotel room together.

~ * ♥ * ~

Bathing as a mermaid was… different. A tail was inevitable, but washing wasn’t as difficult as Miranda had feared.

But when she’d finished, she was confronted with the challenge of getting out of the large bathtub without her legs or feet. As she sat in the deep, empty tub with her mermaid tail, she had visions of cracking her skull on the floor and being found by paramedics as a mermaid, flopping like a dying fish in a pool of blood.

Thankfully, there was another option. “Andrea!”

“Coming!” Within seconds, Andrea appeared in a bathrobe. She was clean and dry, her smooth skin glowing. Her long hair was secured in a loose bun on top of her head.

Belatedly, Miranda realized that her breasts were exposed to Andrea for the first time. Her thin, wet bra hadn’t left much to the imagination, but she still felt self-conscious about their size and shape sans underwire.

Andrea broke into a wide smile. “Ohh.”

“What?”

“Nothing, you just… you’re just beautiful.”

Miranda felt her cheeks warm. “Th-thank you. I was just wondering how to get out.”

“Ooh, yeah. It’s a whole technique. I keep a bunch of towels right by the tub, and, um, a ramp.”

“A ramp? For sliding out of the bath?” The girl couldn’t be serious.

“Hey, it’s practical. You should get one. But for now, I’ll help you.” Andrea knelt down and offered her arms to Miranda, who paused and then accepted the embrace. Andrea began to pull her upward, but then gasped, wobbled, and sank back down.

“Phew. Sorry, you’re just a bit heavy. I mean, you're thin! Very, very thin. I’m just really worn out after everything, and my ribs…”

“Oh God, your ribs. I forgot. Don’t help me. I’ll just wait here til I’m dry.”

“Here, I’ll get you some towels.” 

Andrea left the bathroom and returned with a pile of white bath towels. Miranda began to dry herself, expecting Andrea to leave her to it. To her surprise, Andrea knelt down and gently began to dry Miranda’s hair.

At last, her legs returned. Andrea stepped back while Miranda pushed to her feet and stepped out of the tub, covering herself with one of the towels. She was about to ask for privacy to get dressed, but the words died on her lips when she saw how Andrea was looking at her.

“I…” Andrea’s face flushed. “Um...”

The towel fell to her feet as their bodies and lips came together. Andrea’s mouth tasted like toothpaste, and her skin smelled like shampoo. _They were alive._ Somehow it was hitting her all at once that after nearly drowning in the Atlantic Ocean—and then landing on an actual deserted island—they had made it.

Andrea tugged on Miranda’s arm. “The bed. Let’s go to the bed.”

Andrea shrugged off her bathrobe and rolled onto the bed. Miranda sank down beside her.

A day ago, Andrea had been shy, trying to cover herself—but now she tumbled into Miranda, pressing their naked breasts together and tangling her fingers in Miranda’s hair.

Miranda groaned as Andrea placed hot, breathy kisses on her jaw and then her neck. Heat flooded her body, and her hips lifted as her leg brushed Andrea’s sex. Andrea made a sound like a high, soft cry, and Miranda responded by rocking against her.

“Ohh.” Andrea’s head lolled back.

Soon, Miranda’s leg was slick. Her hands found those round, perfect breasts and she began to cup and tease them as she pressed into Andrea's center.

“Your ribs,” she remembered suddenly. “Am I hurting you?”

“No, no. A little. I don’t care. Please don’t stop.” They moved together, harder and faster until Andrea came, trembling and breathing hard. She smiled up at Miranda, still out of breath, and the joy and love in her eyes was almost too much.

“May I touch you?” Andrea whispered. “Please?” 

Swallowing, Miranda nodded.

Andrea traced the curve of Miranda’s breast, openly admiring the one part of her body that had been covered on the island.

“I had two children,” Miranda suddenly felt compelled to explain that she had the breasts of a fifty-something woman with kids.

“You’re gorgeous. I promise.” Andrea met her eyes. “Every part of you is perfection.”

Miranda stilled her hand. Suddenly, this couldn’t wait. “When I said that you were… fat… among any number or inappropriate things—”

“Shhh. You don’t have to explain.” Her eyes gleamed. “You’re Miranda Priestly. You wouldn’t be you without your, er, unique wit.”

Then, Andrea’s mouth was on her breast, kissing, tasting, and driving Miranda mad. “I can’t move as much as usual. But God, I want you so much.” Her hand traveled downward, and then her fingers were stroking and teasing.

Andrea took her time, speeding up then slowing down and going deeper until Miranda was in glorious agony. When she came, she arched backwards and then buried her face in Andrea’s hair. “Dear God.”

Andrea held her close. “I… thank you.”

Miranda had thought she was about to say the words again. It was probably best that she didn’t, when they were just emerging from a life-or-death situation. She still had no idea how this could ever fit into her world, and hadn’t let herself think about it. The present moment was too overwhelming. She’d almost died, she was a mermaid, and she’d hardly slept for two days.

Miranda gently disentangled herself. “We should get back to the city.”

Andrea groaned, stretching. “Must we?”

“Yes.” Miranda slid off the bed and wrapped a towel around her naked body. Then she looked at herself in the bathroom mirror. Her white hair was tousled, flat in some spots and frizzy in others. She frowned, running her fingers through it.

She hadn’t seen her hair like this in years; she always had her stylist blow dry-it straight. Suddenly, she realized that wasn’t an option anymore. She couldn’t go to the salon at all, unless she could somehow convince professional stylists not to use water. Her stomach knotted. Flawless hair wasn’t optional for someone in her position.

She hadn’t even begun to think through the consequences of her new condition. It was one thing for Andrea to wear rain coats to parties and rush out of meetings to hide her tail. Miranda’s career required more poise than that.

Andrea came up behind her. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” Miranda shook her head. “We should get back. I’ll meet you in the main room when you’re ready.”

“Oh, okay.” Andrea looked dejected, but left the room.

Miranda rubbed her temples. What the hell was she going to do?


	8. Chapter 8

Andy winced as she hauled her laptop onto her stomach. For some reason, her ribs felt worse after three days at home.

Or maybe it was just her shitty mood. After insisting she take the entire week off to recover, Miranda had called exactly once, asked in a perfunctory tone about her injury, and then excused herself to tend to the twins. Since then, Andy had left three messages, and none had been returned.

Andy knew that Miranda was dealing with a lot. An attempt on her life, her new status as a mermaid, and a media frenzy. Still, it hurt that she didn’t seem to want Andy at her side.

In the past few days, Andy had learned more from the internet than she had from Miranda—or the cops, who seemed to be treating Miranda’s attorney as their main point of contact. 

She’d learned from TMZ that Crystal had been arrested and held for questioning. The same website had been posting photos of Miranda back at work, with a gaggle of reporters following her everywhere.

Andy clicked on TMZ and sure enough, there was new footage of Miranda strutting from her car to the office building, ignoring a group of reporters. She declined comment every time, referring all questions to her attorney.

As for Andy, she didn’t have an attorney, so her only defense was to screen her calls. Reporters were much less interested in her—they had only staked out her apartment for a single day—but with Miranda refusing to comment, they kept trying Andy just in case.

Andy clicked on one of the photos and zoomed in. Miranda was wearing a flowing white dress with high heels, plus a shimmery necklace of orange jewels. The color reminded Andy of Miranda’s mermaid tail. She wondered if she’d thought the same thing when she put it on.

In the photos, Miranda's eyes were hard, and her mouth was a thin line. Andy desperately wanted to know how she was feeling, and why she hadn’t called. What she wanted, or didn't want. Andy wasn’t even sure if she’d be welcome back at work after her week off, now that everything was different.

Blowing out a frustrated breath, she slammed her laptop shut. Why did everything have to be so confusing and hard?

~ * ♥ * ~

“Emily,” Miranda said sharply, “it’s raining.”

“Oh, well…er…yes.” Emily squirmed. “Does that mean something?”

Miranda blew out a huffy breath and walked back into her office. Useless.

 _It’s not supposed to rain_. Miranda checked the weather each morning, without fail, and it was supposed to be partly cloudy. The idiot weather people had fucked her, and now she’d have to walk past reporters in a plastic tarp, or whatever waterproof nonsense she could find in the office.

She wondered how Andrea handled rain. The girl never missed work, which meant she managed to commute in bad weather somehow.

Miranda’s eyes fell to the phone on her desk. She picked up the receiver, twirled it, and then slammed it down with a sigh. Her guilt increased with each passing day, but she just couldn’t bring herself to dial.

Emily hesitantly knocked on the door frame. “Your three o’clock meeting…”

“They’re here? Fine. Show them in.”

She was meeting with cosmetics executives to discuss a potential collaboration. It had been on the books for weeks, but now of course she’d have to suffer through their performance of sympathy before they could talk business.

Stacie and Jane were barely through the door before they started. “Miranda!” said Stacie. “How are you? Gosh, I couldn’t believe it when I heard.”

“I’m fine, thank you.” Miranda accepted the air kisses. “Won’t you sit down?” 

“It’s just so horrible,” Stacie continued as she took her seat. “We all know you can be a bit hard on your staff, but murder? That’s just uncalled for.”

“So inappropriate,” Jane cooed vacantly. “What is this world coming to?”

Miranda forced a thin smile. The tabloids were milking the “evil boss” angle, and the blogs were full of absurd rumors about how she might have driven Crystal over the edge. “Thank you for your support. I’m touched.”

Miranda no longer served liquids at meetings. But Stacie plunked a plastic water bottle right there on the table, just a few feet away from Miranda. It was one of those thin, crinkly, “eco-friendly” bottles, sitting lopsided like the slightest disturbance could tip it over.

She couldn’t stop staring at it. All through the meeting, she was hyper-aware of the bottle and every movement Stacie made.

Finally, Stacie turned to her. “Are you thirsty? I’ve got more bottled water in my bag.”

“ _No thank you._ ” It came out far too loudly.

But Stacie was already retrieving another bottle, holding it out…

“I said no!” Miranda jumped up so quickly, her knees slammed into the table. Stacie’s water fell over, shooting a gush of water across the table and onto Miranda’s dress.

_No, no, no, no, no._

“Excuse me.” She fled her office and shot past Emily. Where did Andrea go when she got wet? The stairwell. Miranda slipped through the door just before she lost her legs and fell to the ground.

“Fuck.” She stared at her tail. Thankfully, her dress was unharmed; it was wide enough to accommodate the bulk of her tail. Her shoes lay on the floor beside her, also in one piece. Her panties, however, were toast. She reached inelegantly up her dress and pulled out the ripped, lacy pieces.

How did Andrea live like this? Miranda had been a mermaid for less than a week, and already she felt totally out of control. Two nights before, she’d had to escape to the bathroom to avoid transforming in front of the twins, after dishwater had penetrated one of her kitchen gloves. Now she’d run out of a work meeting, and she didn’t even have a plan for the rain.

First someone had tried to kill her, and then she’d changed into a fish… and she’d made love to a woman, to Andrea… and now a single splash of water could ruin her, and it was all too much.

~ * ♥ * ~

Emily’s nerves appeared to be shot by the time she announced the arrival of Miranda’s six o’clock: her lawyer, Sanjay.

“Is there anything you, um, need... or that I can, um…”

“That’s all.” Miranda waved her hand. “You can go.”

Emily looked so relieved, Miranda feared for a moment that she would cry. Instead, she quickly scampered off.

Sanjay entered in a slick suit, toting his trademark leather briefcase. “How are you holding up?”

“Fine.” Miranda gestured for him to sit.

“You know, it’s okay if you’re not fine.” He looked at her with kind eyes. “You almost died. You’re allowed to take time off to process the trauma.”

“I’m not traumatized,” she snapped. “Do you actually have an update or did you come here to play therapist?”

He sighed. “I have an update… but you’re not going to like it.”

Miranda’s stomach clenched. “What is it?”

“They’re letting Crystal go.”

“What? How the fuck—”

“They don’t have enough evidence to hold her. No one saw anything, so your statements are the only evidence against her. And what you told the police… well, they haven’t been able to corroborate it. Something isn’t adding up.”

Miranda felt her pulse quicken. “What do you mean?”

“You told the police that Crystal pushed you overboard near the island, and that you were able to swim there. But they checked the GPS data, and the yacht was never anywhere near that island. At the point when it was closest, it was several miles away.”

Fuck. She’d been afraid of this. “The GPS must be wrong.”

“Maybe. But there are other problems as well. They never found the blue raft that you told them about, and they’re very skeptical that you’d be able to swim all the way from the island even with a floatation device. Particularly, when you’d been stranded overnight without food and water.”

“Well, obviously we did. What’s their brilliant theory?”

Sanjay shrugged. “They don’t have one. They seem baffled, and to tell you the truth, I am too. You and Andrea would have to be better than Olympic swimmers to make it back without help. I’m not saying I don’t believe you… but I have to be honest. I feel like there’s something you’re not telling me.”

Miranda looked him in the eye. “Crystal Medina held me at gunpoint. She accused me of ruining her pathetic, miserable life, and then she attacked me and _pushed me overboard_. That’s the truth. And by letting her go, they’re putting both my life and Andrea’s in danger.”

“Okay.” He sighed. “I’ll keep working on it. But if there’s anything you could think of that would make this all make sense…”

Miranda closed her eyes. “Just go. I’m sorry, but I just… I need you to go.”

Sanjay got up. “Think about what I said, okay? I’ll be in touch.”

Miranda gave him a terse nod.

He glanced out the window as he left. “Have a good night. Stay dry.”


	9. Chapter 9

Andy’s phone had been ringing over and over for half an hour, the same number every time. At first she’d assumed it was a persistent reporter, but they usually gave up after three or four tries.

Of course, she could have just turned off her phone. But she was still hoping Miranda would call, like the pitiful, lovesick loser that she was.

At last, she picked up. “What?”

“Andrea Sachs,” said a raspy female voice. It was Crystal.

“Huh?” Andy sat up. “They let you call me?”

“They let me out. Because you’re lying, and the cops know it.”

Her jaw clenched. “We’re not lying. You know we’re not lying.”

“Whatever. I don’t know how the hell you got from the ship to Southampton. But if you don’t stop slandering me, you’re going to regret it. Remember, I know where you work. And I know where your heinous boss lives.”

Andy opened her mouth to respond, but then she heard a click. The line was dead.

She’d made a resolution not to call Miranda, but it took her about three seconds to break it.

Surprisingly, Miranda picked up on the second ring. “Hello?”

“Crystal’s out of jail. They let her out, and she already called me and threatened me.”

There was a sharp breath. “What? What did she say?”

Andy recounted the brief conversation.

“I’m sending a car,” Miranda said decisively.

“Huh?”

“For you.” Miranda sounded annoyed that she didn’t already get it. “I know you don’t have any security in that puny apartment. I have a gate and an alarm. You’ll stay at my house until we can find somewhere more suitable.”

“You can’t just…” Andy paused. She’d been about to say, _you can’t just order me to come over._ But wasn’t that exactly what she wanted? A chance to see Miranda, to talk to her. “Okay. Thank you. I’ll wait for the car.”

She shoved a few days worth of clothing into her suitcase, along with her pain meds and her laptop. Then, she changed out of her sweatpants and into a loose floral sundress, completing the look with a dusting of earthy eyeshadow and pink lipgloss. She wasn’t ready for a shift at _Runway_ , but it was an improvement.

Downstairs, the car was already waiting for her. She didn’t recognize the driver, so after a polite hello she spent the drive staring out the window, trying to decide what to say when she saw Miranda for the first time in days.

Miranda was waiting for her in figure-flattering pajamas, turquoise satin with a tiny dot print. She set down her glass of wine. “Hello, Andrea.”

“Hi.” Andy looked around. “Um, are the twins here?”

“They’re with their father.”

“Oh.” So in theory, she was free to greet Miranda with a kiss. But after days of mostly silence, she had no idea where they stood, so she just hovered awkwardly in the entryway.

“Come in,” Miranda said finally. “Would you like something to drink?”

“Um, sure. Just water. Thanks.”

Andy followed Miranda to her spacious, immaculate kitchen. She stood behind the counter as Miranda retrieved a glass from the cabinet.

Next, Miranda opened the refrigerator and pulled out a pitcher of water. But instead of pouring, she set it on the counter next to the glass and just stared at it.

“Are you okay?”

“Fine,” Miranda snapped. She quickly poured the water and returned the pitcher to the fridge.

“It’s okay if you’re not okay. I know it’s a big adjustment, being a mermaid. I remember how it felt—”

“You remember? You were a child living your _Little Mermaid_ fantasy. I’m… I’m Miranda Priestly, and I can’t sit through a meeting or go out in the rain.”

“You can’t sit through a meeting?” Andy scrunched her face in confusion. “Did something happen?”

“Never mind.” Miranda set the glass down in front of her. “You can stay in the third bedroom on the right. There’s a bathroom across the hall. Eat… whatever you can find. I need to get some work done. I’ll see you in the morning.” With that, she whirled and walked out of the kitchen. 

Soon, Andy heard light footsteps ascending the stairs. _Nice to see you too._

~ * ♥ * ~

Miranda woke up at five a.m. for her “shower,” now a ridiculous bath that ended with her drying herself on the floor. When her legs returned, she dressed and styled herself as quickly as she could, hoping to sneak out of the house before Andrea woke up.

When she swept out of her bedroom in a cloud of perfume, the guest room was still closed with no sign of a light. Evidently, her second assistant slept in when she wasn’t on duty—typical, she supposed, for someone Andrea’s age.

There were no reporters waiting at her front door. The early morning was sunny with only a few gauzy clouds in the sky. Perhaps this could be a normal day, if she could push thoughts of mermaids and Andrea and murder out of her mind.

It didn’t work. All day, in every meeting, Andrea occupied her thoughts. Her insides twisted when she thought about Crystal coming after both of them. And when she remembered the hurt and confusion on Andrea’s face the night before, her heart ached.

She knew Andrea wanted to talk about their relationship, but Miranda had no idea what to say. Regardless of whether Andrea returned to work at _Runway_ for some period of time, she’d never be merely her “second assistant” ever again. Her feelings were too overwhelming; going back wasn’t an option. But was she prepared to start a relationship with a much younger woman who was a constant reminder of her situation? 

Since she’d returned, she had been trying to treat her mermaid tail as a private inconvenience that she could shove into a little box, separate from the rest of her life. With Andrea, that was impossible. Andrea made her feel like… like a gay mermaid.

At the end of the day, she returned home feeling restless and conflicted. She found Andrea waiting on the sofa, pensively clutching a mug of tea.

“How are your ribs?” Miranda asked.

Andrea set down the mug. “Fine. The same. I really think we should talk.”

Miranda opened her mouth to stall, when there was a knock at the door. “It’s Roy. No one else could get past the gate.”

Sighing, she heaved open the door. Crystal Medina stood before her, breaking into a sinister grin.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the bitch with nine lives.”

~ * ♥ * ~

“Andrea! Call the police.”

Andy jumped off the sofa. “What? What’s happening?” She raced to the entryway, where she found Crystal standing with her arms crossed, glaring at Miranda.

Then, Crystal's eyes fell on Andy. “You’re here too? What the fuck is going on between you two?”

“You’re trespassing.” Miranda looked back at Andy. “I said to call the police.”

“No police." Crystal stepped forward. “I just want to talk.”

Andy looked her up and down. She was wearing a trashy, skin-tight dress that showed off her waist and boobs—and her panty lines. There was no way Crystal was hiding a gun in that number. Andy spun and ran back into the living room for her cell phone.

Crystal caught up as she dove for the phone, managing to capture her wrist. The phone clattered to the floor.

Andy fought back, shoving Crystal backwards. Then she sank to the ground. “Owwww.” Her ribs were on fire.

Crystal flailed, and then something seemed to catch her eye. Andy realized too late that it was a large, glass sculpture. Crystal grabbed it and raised it above her head.

Andy attempted to shield herself from the coming blow, but then she heard Miranda's voice. “If you touch the woman I love one more time, I swear to God no one will ever find your body.”

Crystal turned her head, and Andy seized the opportunity to take a hard swipe at her ankle. Crystal tumbled to her knees, slamming into the coffee table and upending the mug of tea.

Andy watched in horror as the liquid spilled onto her leg. She struggled to get to her feet, but Crystal gripped her arm with crazed eyes, almost looking ready to bite it.

Miranda grabbed Crystal from behind, pulling her away from Andy, but it was too late—her legs morphed into her mermaid tail, pushing Crystal backwards and fanning out for all three of them to see.

“Oh my God! Oh my God, you’re a fish! What the fuck—"

Crystal’s shrieking ceased abruptly, and she collapsed on the ground, unconscious. Andy jerked her head up to see Miranda holding the sculpture with a look that was almost serene.

“You should dry off,” Miranda said to Andy. “I’ll get some rope.”

~ * ♥ * ~

When her legs returned, Andy helped Miranda to tie Crystal to the coffee table. Crystal was breathing, with a steady pulse, but didn’t stir.

Miranda called the cops to report that they’d been attacked. After she hung up, they sat down at the kitchen table to wait.

Andy glanced over at Crystal. “No one will believe her, right? I mean, she’ll just sound deranged.”

“I certainly wouldn’t have believed you.”

“Right.” Andy gave her a tentative smile. “So, when she attacked me, um… you called me the woman you love.”

Miranda flushed and looked away. But then, she squared her jaw and met Andy’s eyes. “That’s right. Do you have a problem with that?” Her perfect eyebrow lifted.

“No, no problem,” Andy said, as fireworks exploded in her chest. Still, she played it cool. “In fact,” she said, mimicking Miranda’s voice, “I find it acceptable.”

“Hmm. Good.”

“Good.” Andy reached out and squeezed her hand. “So have you ever been with, um…”

“A woman?” The eyebrow flexed again.

“I was going to say a fish.”

Before she could answer, there was a sharp knock at the door.

“Come on.” Miranda tilted her head. “Let’s get this over with. Then you can get all the fish jokes out of your system.”

“I don’t know. That could take years.”

Miranda leaned in for a kiss. “We’ve got years.”


	10. Epilogue

Miranda emerged from the bedroom to find Andrea pacing in a bikini top and sarong. “Feeling impatient?”

“Yes, of course I’m impatient. It’s our first tropical swim together.”

"Well, you can calm down, because I'm ready." Miranda held out the stack of towels. “We can leave these near the water.”

“Okay.” Andrea shrugged. “But it’s not like anyone will see us at our private resort.”

“You keep saying that word.”

“Because I’ve never had a _private_ anything! And because I’m excited to go swimming in a place where we don’t have to worry about anyone seeing us.”

Miranda couldn't help but smile. “All right then. Let’s go.”

They held hands as they walked down the beach to the edge of the water. Miranda glanced around once—she couldn’t help it—but then she slipped out of her coverup.

Andrea’s sarong fell into a heap at her feet. “Ready?”

Miranda’s stomach was full of butterflies, but she nodded.

They stepped into the water together, losing their legs at exactly the same time. Miranda glided through the water while Andrea splashed around, waving her tail.

Andrea beamed. “Doesn’t it feel amazing?”

“Yes, it does.” The blue water was clear as glass and warm like a hug.

“This is going to be like snorkeling, but one million times better.”

“So you’ve said. Many… many times. For example, the whole flight here.”

Andrea laughed. “Okay, point taken. I just can’t wait to show you.”

They dipped below the surface together and began to swim side-by-side. They passed seashells, fish, and bright green seaweed.

They swam deeper, past a cliff of sand, and then she saw it—the coral reef dawning before them. It was a rainbow of brilliant colors, teaming with life and swarming with schools of tropical fish.

Andrea waved her hand and mouthed _ta-da!_

Miranda allowed herself a wide, unrestrained smile. After all, no one would see but the fish.

 _Beautiful,_ she mouthed back.

With a flick of her tail, Andrea swam over for a kiss. Then, they held hands and went exploring.

~~The End~~ Thank you so much for reading. For more of my writing, check out <http://quinnivins.com>


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